I was thinking tonight about things I usually get free or close to free on a regular basis. Just because you don't like these brands doesn't mean that you can't get discounts on brands you normally buy. I'm just pretty brand flexible most of the time. These are my top picks:
Rice - usually Mahatma brand. There are frequently 50 cent off coupons for these online or in the paper. Some stores sell the small rice bag regularly for only a little more than a dollar and then when the coupon doubles, the item is almost free. Or you can use them during triple coupons at HT to get it free.
Bread - Nature's Own has been putting out these 75 cents off coupons online. They say they are for the premium bread but you use them on the regular honey wheat or 100% whole wheat kind. When the bread is on sale BOGO at Harris Teeter and the coupons double to $1.50 the bread is free. Even when the bread is 1.99, it's only 50 cents. Plus Harris Teeter has given me some catalinas and special eVICs for free bread lately.
Toothpaste - I've gotten free toothpaste at Kroger and Harris Teeter. I haven't paid more than 50 cents for brand name (Aquafresh, Colgate, Crest) toothpaste (sensitive or advanced care or just regular) since last summer. Remember to pick up toothpaste and toothbrush coupons at your dentist's office.
Deodorant - especially the Sure brand - with coupons and sales it has been 50 cents or less.
Shampoo - Herbal essences shampoo and conditioner with sales and coupons has been 50 cents. I've gotten a similar deal with Pert Plus also.
Wholly Guacamole - every time Harris Teeter does Super Doubles I get the small package for free using the $1 off printable coupon
Yogurt - the most common ones I get free with sales and coupons are Danactive, Activia, Yoplait YoPlus, Yoplait Fiber One, or Dannon Light and Fit 4 packs. The Danimals crush cups and Danonino have been free or close to free.
Mission Flour Tortillas - 50 cent coupons triple to $1.50 which frequently match up with sales on these
Pillsbury Cresent rolls and biscuits - there are always tons of coupons for these online and in the paper and there are lots of sales and catalina deals for these things that give you $4 or $5 off your total order or next order if you buy a certain number of them. I've actually made money on these deals.
Lysol bathroom cleaner - with coupons and sales, especially during triples, these can be 50 cents each
Dawn dish soap - a 50 cent coupon can double and make the small bottle free when it's on sale for 99cents
Chex Mix - It's easy to get these for 50 cents during triples if they are on sale. I've gotten them as low as 17 cents a bag though
Heinz Ketchup and French's mustard - Ketchup has been as low as 17 cents per bottle and mustard has been free. It's good to stock up on things like this because they last a long time.
Kix cereal - there have been some great 75 cents off coupons that during triple coupons have made this 25 cents per box. I try not to pay more than $1 to $1.50 per box for brand name cereal (usually Cheerios, Special K, and Frosted Mini Wheats have the best deals)
Ken's steakhouse and Wishbone salad dressing - small bottles have been 25 or 50 cents with sales and coupons
Anything you typically get for free (or close to it)?
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Follow Me on Twitter! @lovelimom
I've decided that every good blogger also needs a Twitter account. Not sure how much I'll Tweet and how much I'll just use it to get other deals. I already retweeted a coupon contest from Nature's Own to win free bread for a year (awesome!). I'll look for those things and retweet them for ya!
Friday, August 20, 2010
New Jersey Stores...Shoprite and Acme
Shopping in NJ this week - apparently Acme and Shoprite both double coupons up to and including 99 cents :-) Many of the same coupon and sale rules seem to apply, so NJ followers, you may see a local post from me this week. Acme just came out with new prices today, Shoprite comes out with new ones Sunday.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Coupon Class in Burlington, NC this Saturday
There is a "Coupon Makeover Class" going on in Burlington NC this Saturday. They say you can save 50-75% on your grocery bill! Here are the details, courtesy of my friend Lori!
Saturday August 21st, 2010 @10am
May Memorial Library
342 S. Spring Street
Burlington, NC 27215
336-229-3588
Call to register or ask at the Reference Desk
Saturday August 21st, 2010 @10am
May Memorial Library
342 S. Spring Street
Burlington, NC 27215
336-229-3588
Call to register or ask at the Reference Desk
Friday, August 13, 2010
Tip of the Week - get an account just for deals!
There are a lot of deals on the web. Tons of printable coupons, not just for groceries but for all kinds of things from restaurants to clothing to sporting good. Many of these deals require you to provide a bunch of information to get them or at least an email address. Given an email address can be beneficial because their websites might send you even more deals (like groupon.com to name one). Some require you to like the item or company on facebook or retweet it on twitter.
But what if you don't want all your friends to know you "Like" Tums or Tampax? What if you don't want to have to sift through a ton of junk mail to get to your real mail or to read your news feed on facebook? Get a separate account. I have a separate gmail, facebook, and Twitter account just for deals. This way, if I'm ever looking for sales or deals I can just check that account without compromising my identity or precious free time going through emails. I started just with gmail but have expanded to the others because there are so many facebook deals nowadays. Now, you may have to put in some more info on yourself than just your email. Most of that info might already be out there anyway and by giving your address you might get a lot of coupons in the mail, like I do. But if you don't want that...well no one ever said you had to provide "accurate" details to get the deals...just sayin'. Anyway, don't miss out on deals just because you're afraid to foray into social networking. Just set all your privacy settings, don't provide any pics or friend any one person, and you're golden. :-)
But what if you don't want all your friends to know you "Like" Tums or Tampax? What if you don't want to have to sift through a ton of junk mail to get to your real mail or to read your news feed on facebook? Get a separate account. I have a separate gmail, facebook, and Twitter account just for deals. This way, if I'm ever looking for sales or deals I can just check that account without compromising my identity or precious free time going through emails. I started just with gmail but have expanded to the others because there are so many facebook deals nowadays. Now, you may have to put in some more info on yourself than just your email. Most of that info might already be out there anyway and by giving your address you might get a lot of coupons in the mail, like I do. But if you don't want that...well no one ever said you had to provide "accurate" details to get the deals...just sayin'. Anyway, don't miss out on deals just because you're afraid to foray into social networking. Just set all your privacy settings, don't provide any pics or friend any one person, and you're golden. :-)
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Blindsided by Super Doubles THIS WEEK!
Super Doubles starts today at Harris Teeter - I wasn't paying attention to any of the boards that would normally have tipped me off. Get those coupons together and good luck!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Harris Teeter this week 8/7/10!!!
Spent $144.18, saved $122.64 not including the $5 rebate I have to do for my Sorrento String Cheese.
Just a warning for the MLK store in Durham - a lot of things were mis-tagged yesterday, meaning if you don't get that discount, you might get the item for free. That's what happened with my Mission Tortillas - the tag said 2 for $3, but it rang up as 2.95. They gave me my entire purchase price back. It always pays to check your receipt. Typically I at least scan for items that did not ring up with some kind of sale discount because almost everything I buy is on some kind of VIC special. If it's not, I had to have planned it that way or it rang up wrong. :-)
Please check Sue Stock's Blog Here for which circulars the coupons are in. Remember also that at HT, you can buy just one item at half price if the sale is BOGO.
Other reminders:
"blinkies" are coupons found in the dispensers in the aisles - The could have been in the aisle this week, or I could have pulled them some weeks ago and just kept them. They're called blinkies because there is sometimes a red blinking light on the dispensers.
"peelies" are cpns found stuck to the package. Again, you might use the ones stuck to the package you bought today, or you might just keep them for a later use if you have a better paper coupon.
"tearpad" are cpns found in a thick post-it like pad near an item. There was a big penguin cardboard cut out in the freezer section a few weeks ago with a ton of tearpad coupons for dairy and frozen stuff.
"IP" means "internet printable" coupons, though I may just refer to them as printable. Find them online at coupons.com, smartsource.com, redplum.com, or couponing101.com
Most other coupons are from the newspaper unless otherwise noted. Some are home mailings or from magazines.
**Keep in mind, if you are an eVIC member, you will get personal eVIC specials that are just for you. They usually send and email about these on Fridays though they also show up at the bottom of your receipt. You can go to the front desk at the beginning of your shopping trip and ask them to print out your deals for you also (thanks to Lori for this tip!) Sometimes you'll get to try an item for free this way - last week it was HT Slow Churned ice cream for free and this week it's HT Almond butter for me.
On to some of the deals (in no particular order):
Lots of P&G products on on e-VIC special this week and there are tons of cpns out for those. Plus I get a bunch in the mail since I signed up for a rebate with them a few months ago. They include:
Dawn Dish Liquid - orig. 3.19, on eVIC special (limit 1) for 1.77, $1 off coupon for the Olay Hand Renewal type made it 77 cents, there is a 25 cent coupon in last weeks P&G Saver which will double if you don't have the $1 off one.
Tide Laundry Detergent (64 loads) - orig. 14.75, eVIC for 9.97 (limit 1) - $2 off coupon in the most recent Parents magazine = 7.97 - or use the $1 off coupon in the P&G saver
Charmin Big Roll (12) toilet paper - orig. 8.79, eVIC for 5.77 (limit 1)- $1 off coupon I got in the mail, but again, there are other cpns in the paper = 4/77
Bounty 8 BIG rolls - orig. 9.99, eVIC for 5.77 - 25 cents coupon in 8/1 P&G saver doubles to 50 cents = 5.27
I try to pay less than $5 for toilet paper and less than $6 for the paper towels, otherwise I don't fee like it's a good deal. Less than $4 is the best I get for the TP and less than $5 is the best for paper towels
Cascade Action Pacs (love these!!! and the Finish ones too, no getting powder everywhere or splattering the liquid, plus they clean really really well, no spots on glasses) - orig. 7.79, sale 5.99, - I had a $3 off catalina coupon (the ones that print out at the checkout) so it was 2.99 for the pack. There are some other coupons in the P&G Saver though I believe.
Luvs Diapers Jumbo pack are 5.99 this week (normal sale is 6.99, so this is good, especially if you have the $2.50 off coupons they send you in the mail, they're 3.49)
Pampers or Huggies Jumbo pack are 6.97 eVIC special this week (otherwise on sale of 8.99 and originally either 10.99 or 11.99). Limit is 1. Add the $3 off Huggies Snug &Dry printable coupon and it's 3.97 for that pack. or add one of the P&G savers pampers coupons for $1 or $1.50 off. Less than $4 for a jumbo pack of diapers is a good deal in general.
Kelloggs Mini Wheats, little bites (K loves these) - all Kellogs cereals are 50 % off. The small boxes of Mini Wheats were orig. 3.49, on sale for $1.77, plus $1 off 3 coupon = about $1.44 per box. Close to $1 per box (or less) for cereal is what I try to aim for, then I stock up. It lasts for about a year usually.
Furmano 28oz diced tomatoes are BOGO - couldn't find a coupon, but this is still a decent deal for making cheap chili - orig. 2.20, sale 1.10
Peter Pan peanut butter - orig. 2.49, sale 1.67, cpn for 60 cents off on 8/1 doubles to 1.20 off = 47 cents
Orville Redenbacher popcorn - orig. 2.99, sale 1.49 (BOGO) - cpn for 40 cents off on 8/1 doubles to 80 cents = 69 cents (we like the Naturals variety, especially the simply salt 50% less fat version)
Kraft Mac n Cheese Explosion - orig. 1.35 per box, personal eVIC special of 5 for $5 (limit 5) - I had blinkie coupons for 55 cents off 2 of this variety, and these doubled. So I bought 4 at 45 cents per box.
HT Facial Tissue - orig. 1.49 per box, eVIC = 57 cents (limit 1)
Blue Dog Natural Dog Treats (20 oz) - BOGO - orig. 4.75, sale 2.37
Gillette Fusion Procare after shave lotion - orig. 7.99, sale 4.99, coupon for $2 off = 2.99
Loreal True Match Foundation makeup - orig. 10.99, sale 6.99, cpn for $2 off = 4.99
Herbal Essences haircare products - orig. 3.99, sale 2 for $5, cpn for BOGO made them 1.25 each for 2 (I got the mousse)
Angus NY Strip steak (on sale for 6.99 per lb, usually 10.99) - for example, orig. 12.86, sale 8.18
Pork Baby Back Ribs (on sale for 2.99 per lb, usually 6.99) - for example, orig. 16.38, sale 8.40 (having this for dinner tonight with a nice southwestern rub, yum!)
Fresh Mozzerella (on sale for 4.99 per lb) - for example, orig. 6.39, sale 3.19. (we're having homemade pizza this week)
Nature's Own Whole Grain bread is 1.99 - printable coupon for 75cents off doubles to 1.50 = 49 cents (I love that I rarely pay more than 50 cents for bread anymore). You can use this printable on any natures own though it says it's for the premium specialty breads.
PEACHES - eastern grown are on a great sale, 49 cents per lb. For the 2.81 lbs of peaches I bought, it would have been 5.03 normally, I paid $1.38. Always look for in-season local produce.
Bartlett pears - on sale for 1.49 per lb (we're making the poached pear recipe in the the Food Network magazine this past month - looks yummy! and easy, you use the microwave. This is how I make baked apples too - great with some cool whip or vanilla ice cream as a dessert)
Organic Strawberries - were on sale for $3 per lb. same as the conventional strawberries. I got a raincheck because they were out.
Broccoli crowns are 1.79
Hot house cucumbers - orig. 2.49, sale 1.50
White Potatoes (5lb) orig. 3.99, sale 3.49 (not great, but the only potato sale, we made hash browns this morning)
Zucchini and yellow squash on sale for 99 cents/lb - for example, orig. 2.69, sale 1.31
Sorrento string cheese - orig. 4.99, sale 3.99 - plus 65 cents off 2 tearpad coupon from the Penguin, doubled to 1.30 off 2 - 3.34 each, plus I have a $5 rebate off 2 form which was a peelie on a previous pkg of sorrento string cheese. So I'll essentially get them for 84 cents each
Dannon Yogurt - orig. 75 cents each, sale 6 for $4 (or 67 cents each) - plus $1 off 10 cpn = 57 cents each
YoKids Stonyfield 6pck yogurt - orig. 3.99, sale 2.99, cpn for $1 off on Stonyfield website = 1.99
Oscar Meyer Angus Beef Franks - orig. 5.49, sale 2 for $8, cpn for $1 off 2 = 3.50 each
I also had a catalina coupon for a Free HT hand sanatizer :-)
Just a warning for the MLK store in Durham - a lot of things were mis-tagged yesterday, meaning if you don't get that discount, you might get the item for free. That's what happened with my Mission Tortillas - the tag said 2 for $3, but it rang up as 2.95. They gave me my entire purchase price back. It always pays to check your receipt. Typically I at least scan for items that did not ring up with some kind of sale discount because almost everything I buy is on some kind of VIC special. If it's not, I had to have planned it that way or it rang up wrong. :-)
Please check Sue Stock's Blog Here for which circulars the coupons are in. Remember also that at HT, you can buy just one item at half price if the sale is BOGO.
Other reminders:
"blinkies" are coupons found in the dispensers in the aisles - The could have been in the aisle this week, or I could have pulled them some weeks ago and just kept them. They're called blinkies because there is sometimes a red blinking light on the dispensers.
"peelies" are cpns found stuck to the package. Again, you might use the ones stuck to the package you bought today, or you might just keep them for a later use if you have a better paper coupon.
"tearpad" are cpns found in a thick post-it like pad near an item. There was a big penguin cardboard cut out in the freezer section a few weeks ago with a ton of tearpad coupons for dairy and frozen stuff.
"IP" means "internet printable" coupons, though I may just refer to them as printable. Find them online at coupons.com, smartsource.com, redplum.com, or couponing101.com
Most other coupons are from the newspaper unless otherwise noted. Some are home mailings or from magazines.
**Keep in mind, if you are an eVIC member, you will get personal eVIC specials that are just for you. They usually send and email about these on Fridays though they also show up at the bottom of your receipt. You can go to the front desk at the beginning of your shopping trip and ask them to print out your deals for you also (thanks to Lori for this tip!) Sometimes you'll get to try an item for free this way - last week it was HT Slow Churned ice cream for free and this week it's HT Almond butter for me.
On to some of the deals (in no particular order):
Lots of P&G products on on e-VIC special this week and there are tons of cpns out for those. Plus I get a bunch in the mail since I signed up for a rebate with them a few months ago. They include:
Dawn Dish Liquid - orig. 3.19, on eVIC special (limit 1) for 1.77, $1 off coupon for the Olay Hand Renewal type made it 77 cents, there is a 25 cent coupon in last weeks P&G Saver which will double if you don't have the $1 off one.
Tide Laundry Detergent (64 loads) - orig. 14.75, eVIC for 9.97 (limit 1) - $2 off coupon in the most recent Parents magazine = 7.97 - or use the $1 off coupon in the P&G saver
Charmin Big Roll (12) toilet paper - orig. 8.79, eVIC for 5.77 (limit 1)- $1 off coupon I got in the mail, but again, there are other cpns in the paper = 4/77
Bounty 8 BIG rolls - orig. 9.99, eVIC for 5.77 - 25 cents coupon in 8/1 P&G saver doubles to 50 cents = 5.27
I try to pay less than $5 for toilet paper and less than $6 for the paper towels, otherwise I don't fee like it's a good deal. Less than $4 is the best I get for the TP and less than $5 is the best for paper towels
Cascade Action Pacs (love these!!! and the Finish ones too, no getting powder everywhere or splattering the liquid, plus they clean really really well, no spots on glasses) - orig. 7.79, sale 5.99, - I had a $3 off catalina coupon (the ones that print out at the checkout) so it was 2.99 for the pack. There are some other coupons in the P&G Saver though I believe.
Luvs Diapers Jumbo pack are 5.99 this week (normal sale is 6.99, so this is good, especially if you have the $2.50 off coupons they send you in the mail, they're 3.49)
Pampers or Huggies Jumbo pack are 6.97 eVIC special this week (otherwise on sale of 8.99 and originally either 10.99 or 11.99). Limit is 1. Add the $3 off Huggies Snug &Dry printable coupon and it's 3.97 for that pack. or add one of the P&G savers pampers coupons for $1 or $1.50 off. Less than $4 for a jumbo pack of diapers is a good deal in general.
Kelloggs Mini Wheats, little bites (K loves these) - all Kellogs cereals are 50 % off. The small boxes of Mini Wheats were orig. 3.49, on sale for $1.77, plus $1 off 3 coupon = about $1.44 per box. Close to $1 per box (or less) for cereal is what I try to aim for, then I stock up. It lasts for about a year usually.
Furmano 28oz diced tomatoes are BOGO - couldn't find a coupon, but this is still a decent deal for making cheap chili - orig. 2.20, sale 1.10
Peter Pan peanut butter - orig. 2.49, sale 1.67, cpn for 60 cents off on 8/1 doubles to 1.20 off = 47 cents
Orville Redenbacher popcorn - orig. 2.99, sale 1.49 (BOGO) - cpn for 40 cents off on 8/1 doubles to 80 cents = 69 cents (we like the Naturals variety, especially the simply salt 50% less fat version)
Kraft Mac n Cheese Explosion - orig. 1.35 per box, personal eVIC special of 5 for $5 (limit 5) - I had blinkie coupons for 55 cents off 2 of this variety, and these doubled. So I bought 4 at 45 cents per box.
HT Facial Tissue - orig. 1.49 per box, eVIC = 57 cents (limit 1)
Blue Dog Natural Dog Treats (20 oz) - BOGO - orig. 4.75, sale 2.37
Gillette Fusion Procare after shave lotion - orig. 7.99, sale 4.99, coupon for $2 off = 2.99
Loreal True Match Foundation makeup - orig. 10.99, sale 6.99, cpn for $2 off = 4.99
Herbal Essences haircare products - orig. 3.99, sale 2 for $5, cpn for BOGO made them 1.25 each for 2 (I got the mousse)
Angus NY Strip steak (on sale for 6.99 per lb, usually 10.99) - for example, orig. 12.86, sale 8.18
Pork Baby Back Ribs (on sale for 2.99 per lb, usually 6.99) - for example, orig. 16.38, sale 8.40 (having this for dinner tonight with a nice southwestern rub, yum!)
Fresh Mozzerella (on sale for 4.99 per lb) - for example, orig. 6.39, sale 3.19. (we're having homemade pizza this week)
Nature's Own Whole Grain bread is 1.99 - printable coupon for 75cents off doubles to 1.50 = 49 cents (I love that I rarely pay more than 50 cents for bread anymore). You can use this printable on any natures own though it says it's for the premium specialty breads.
PEACHES - eastern grown are on a great sale, 49 cents per lb. For the 2.81 lbs of peaches I bought, it would have been 5.03 normally, I paid $1.38. Always look for in-season local produce.
Bartlett pears - on sale for 1.49 per lb (we're making the poached pear recipe in the the Food Network magazine this past month - looks yummy! and easy, you use the microwave. This is how I make baked apples too - great with some cool whip or vanilla ice cream as a dessert)
Organic Strawberries - were on sale for $3 per lb. same as the conventional strawberries. I got a raincheck because they were out.
Broccoli crowns are 1.79
Hot house cucumbers - orig. 2.49, sale 1.50
White Potatoes (5lb) orig. 3.99, sale 3.49 (not great, but the only potato sale, we made hash browns this morning)
Zucchini and yellow squash on sale for 99 cents/lb - for example, orig. 2.69, sale 1.31
Sorrento string cheese - orig. 4.99, sale 3.99 - plus 65 cents off 2 tearpad coupon from the Penguin, doubled to 1.30 off 2 - 3.34 each, plus I have a $5 rebate off 2 form which was a peelie on a previous pkg of sorrento string cheese. So I'll essentially get them for 84 cents each
Dannon Yogurt - orig. 75 cents each, sale 6 for $4 (or 67 cents each) - plus $1 off 10 cpn = 57 cents each
YoKids Stonyfield 6pck yogurt - orig. 3.99, sale 2.99, cpn for $1 off on Stonyfield website = 1.99
Oscar Meyer Angus Beef Franks - orig. 5.49, sale 2 for $8, cpn for $1 off 2 = 3.50 each
I also had a catalina coupon for a Free HT hand sanatizer :-)
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Harris Teeter this week 8/1/10
First post on groceries in a while! Today I spent $136.67 and saved $115.26.
We've been away for a while and have been living off the stockpile as well, so we needed to replenish a bunch of things. Here are some sale deals that helped us do that.
Smithfield Bacon - Buy 2 get 3 free
Porktenderloin - BOGO
Lean Ground Turkey - BOGO
HT Natural Ice Cream - Buy 2 get 3 free
Nathan's Hot Dogs - BOGO
Angus London Broil - BOGO
Angus top round steak - BOGO
Thomas's English Muffins - BOGO
grapes - orig 2.58/lb, sale 1.99/lb.
maple syrup - orig.7.45, sale 4.99
Muellers pasta - orig. $1.39, sale 5 for $5 - blinkie cpn for $2 off 5 = 60 cents each
Skippy PB - orig. 2,79, sale BOGO or 1.39 each - 60 cent cpn on 8/1 x2 = 19 cents
Peter Pan - orig 2.49, sale $2 - 60 cents cpn on 7/25 x2 = 80 cents
Eggo waffles - orig 2.99, sale $2 - cpn for $1 off 2 on 7/25 = $1.50 per box
eVIC specials
HT thin or old fashioned bread - 67 cents
HT large eggs - 67 cents
HT Churned Lowfat ice cream - FREE
HT organic milk $3.99
HT Milk $1.97
,
We've been away for a while and have been living off the stockpile as well, so we needed to replenish a bunch of things. Here are some sale deals that helped us do that.
Smithfield Bacon - Buy 2 get 3 free
Porktenderloin - BOGO
Lean Ground Turkey - BOGO
HT Natural Ice Cream - Buy 2 get 3 free
Nathan's Hot Dogs - BOGO
Angus London Broil - BOGO
Angus top round steak - BOGO
Thomas's English Muffins - BOGO
grapes - orig 2.58/lb, sale 1.99/lb.
maple syrup - orig.7.45, sale 4.99
Muellers pasta - orig. $1.39, sale 5 for $5 - blinkie cpn for $2 off 5 = 60 cents each
Skippy PB - orig. 2,79, sale BOGO or 1.39 each - 60 cent cpn on 8/1 x2 = 19 cents
Peter Pan - orig 2.49, sale $2 - 60 cents cpn on 7/25 x2 = 80 cents
Eggo waffles - orig 2.99, sale $2 - cpn for $1 off 2 on 7/25 = $1.50 per box
eVIC specials
HT thin or old fashioned bread - 67 cents
HT large eggs - 67 cents
HT Churned Lowfat ice cream - FREE
HT organic milk $3.99
HT Milk $1.97
,
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